Seven – Skye aged 9

Dear Diary,

It's Christmas Eve. Santa comes tonight. I can't wait for Christmas. I love having the family all together enjoying the Christmas fun. I'm still sad Rhydian can't make it for Christmas but he's going to Skype us tomorrow.

Mummy and daddy have been acting funny all morning. I don't know what is wrong with them. One minute they are all smiles and the next they are angry and shouting. I'm glad I'm going to Gem's today as it means I don't have to watch mummy and daddy behaving strangely.

Gem says the frogs have gone into hibernation which makes sense because it is very cold and I wouldn't want to spend all my time in the cold outside.

Write soon,

Skye.

"Come on Skye, we need to go," mummy called. I closed my diary and put it back in my drawer.

"Coming mummy," I said. I ran down the stairs, pulled my frog wellies on because it was snowing and grabbed my coat and bag. "Ready mummy," I said. She smiled at me and opened the front door. I clambered into my seat and waited for mummy to do it up for me. Mummy got in the passenger side of the car and daddy eventually got in the driver's seat.

"You excited about going to Gem's sweetie?" daddy asked. I nodded while mummy looked at daddy angrily. "That's good. Well me and mummy will have you there in a minute," he said reversing the car out the drive and then heading down the street. We soon pulled up at Gem's house. The front door opened and Gem and his mummy stood there.

"Hey Skye," Miss Brent said. I smiled.

"Hi Miss Brent," I said politely.

"Why don't you and Gem go into the house? I just need a quick word with mummy," Miss Brent said. I nodded and Gem and I ran into the house.

Once inside Gem's room, he closed the door and told me to sit on the bed. "Skye something is going on," he said. I frowned, confused. "Mummy keeps getting phone calls from your mummy, Ella's mummy and Lauren's mummy. And she and daddy keep whispering about something. It's really weird."

I shrugged. "I know mummy is on the phone a lot at the moment but I don't know why," I said. "Why don't we spy on them and report back?" I suggested.

Gem nodded. "Hey Skye come see this. This is the newest pet. I called her slinky," he said leading me to his glass tank. I looked at the yellow snake and smiled.

"She's so pretty," I said.

"Do you want to hold her?" he asked. I nodded and he got the snake out the tank. He wrapped the snake across my hands and I could feel its skin slithering all over me.

I giggled. "It tickles," I said. Gem smiled. "She feels so silky rather than scaly," I said.

He smiled again. "That's how they are supposed to feel," he said. I rolled my eyes. I knew that. We put the snake back down and played some games. We played hungry hippos, snakes and ladders and leapfrog.

It was so much fun I even forgot that mummy and daddy had been shouting all week. Gem's mum called us down for lunch. She'd made jam sandwiches in the shapes of flowers, butterflies and fish. They were so yummy, I ate three. "You'd better start packing up your stuff," Miss Brent said. "Your mummy text me. She'll be here soon," she said. I nodded and went upstairs to help Gem tidy up and pickup my books. We went back downstairs and sat on the sofa watching CBBC. There was this great show about these kids who all lived together. It was so funny. They got up to all sorts of mischief.

Miss Brent kept looking at her watch and out the window like she was waiting for something. I did find it a bit strange that mummy was taking so long. Usually she was really on time. Or at least let people know if she was late. "I'm just going to call your mummy," she said getting up. I looked at Gem. He smiled at me. I smiled back but I think he could tell I was nervous because he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

We kept watching the TV but I couldn't concentrate. It got so late that Gem's daddy came home from work. "What are you still doing here Skye?" he asked. I shrugged. I didn't know. He looked at Gem's mum.

"I've tried. She's not answering," she said as she picked her phone up again to try my mum. She gasped suddenly. "Hello. Who is this?" Miss Brent asked. "No. Just I have her daughter at my house and I was wondering where she was," she said. "Oh, really," she said. She glanced at me. "Ok. Thank you," she said. She hung up and turned to face me. "Skye, mummy and daddy are in hospital. We're going to have to wait to hear more," she said. I looked scared but nodded. Mummy and daddy would be fine. I'm sure they would be.

Miss Brent and Mr Jenkins gave me dinner. While we were eating there was a knock at the door. Gem's mummy got up and glanced at his daddy before going to answer the door. "Hello," she said.

"Can I come in?" a voice asked. We heard the door close. "Skye," the man that walked in said. "Can I have a quick word?" he asked. I nodded and followed him into the living room. "My name is PC Morgan. I'm a policeman. Earlier this afternoon there was a car crash and your mummy and daddy went into hospital," he said. He paused. "Skye there's no easy way to tell you this, I'm afraid your mum and dad are dead," he said. I nodded, the sadness welling up in my throat. "Skye later this evening, a lovely lady is going to come and get you, take you home, pack your stuff and take you somewhere safe," he said. I nodded again then gasped.

"What about Santa? Will he know where I am?" I asked. PC Morgan nodded.

"Yes Skye," he said.

Dear Diary,

… I don't know what to say.

A nice policeman told me that a car crash killed my mummy and daddy. I've come home to collect my things. I'm going somewhere else. You'll still be her for me… won't you?

I need to tell Rhydian, But I don't know how to.

Write soon,

Skye.

A/N: This was hard to write. I feel so bad for Skye. Indie :)